2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
12
Ranked Colleges
643
Degrees Awarded
$29,100
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 113,121 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.
Across Iowa, there were 643 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,063 and $27,284 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice and corrections programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice
The colleges and universities below are the best for iowa vets studying criminal justice.
Top 12 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in Iowa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 135 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State University, 814 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,933. During this same period, 9 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa State University]](/colleges/iowa-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Ambrose University landed the #2 spot on the list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davenport, Iowa. It awarded 29 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Ambrose University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 3,003 students enrolled at Saint Ambrose University, 88 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,054. To help with additional expenses, 17 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Saint Ambrose University]](/colleges/saint-ambrose-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Dubuque. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. UD is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 36 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Dubuque supports 2,180 students, and 115 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 74 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,817. In addition to receiving other benefits, 30 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full UD Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loras College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 18 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Loras also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 1,404 students enrolled at Loras, 34 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,495. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loras does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Loras Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 12 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, Mount Mercy University landed the #5 spot on the list. Mount Mercy is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Mount Mercy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 1,705 students enrolled at Mount Mercy, 58 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,227. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Simpson College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice ranking. This small school is located in Indianola, Iowa, and it awarded 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Simpson College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 35 of the 1,267 students enrolled at Simpson College were GI Bill® students, of which 18 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,481. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Simpson College]](/colleges/simpson-college/student-life/veterans/)
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice ranking. This large school is located in Ankeny, Iowa, and it awarded 80 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
DMACC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Des Moines Area Community College supports 23,051 students, and 500 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 221 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,709. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Des Moines Area Community College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #8, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. Waldorf University is located in Forest City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Waldorf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Waldorf University supports 3,025 students, and 398 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 319 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,621. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Waldorf University]](/colleges/waldorf-college/student-life/veterans/)
Grand View University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #9. Grand View University is a small school located in Des Moines, Iowa that handed out 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Grand View University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 1,874 students enrolled at Grand View University, 86 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 38 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,256. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grand View University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Grand View University]](/colleges/grand-view-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #10, Buena Vista University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. Buena Vista University is a small school located in Storm Lake, Iowa that handed out 24 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
BVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 1,863 students enrolled at BVU, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,992. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. BVU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full BVU Veteran Student Life Report
Hawkeye Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice list. Hawkeye Community College is located in Waterloo, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hawkeye Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 5,042 students enrolled at Hawkeye Community College, 150 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,269. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Hawkeye Community College]](/colleges/hawkeye-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Indian Hills Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Iowa for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #12. Ottumwa, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
IHCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Indian Hills Community College supports 3,279 students, and 106 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,629. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at IHCC]](/colleges/indian-hills-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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